Shannon McElhone, LMHC

Dr. Alejandra Vivas is board-certified in adult psychiatry and board-eligible in child and adolescent psychiatry. She completed her general psychiatry residency at Montefiore Medical Center and a child and adolescent fellowship at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Vivas brings extensive experience from outpatient, emergency, and telepsychiatry settings. She has advanced training in CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychodynamic Therapy. Fluent in English and Spanish, she is committed to culturally sensitive, individualized care.

Dr. Vivas fosters a warm, respectful, and professional space where patients feel seen and empowered. She values open communication and builds collaborative relationships to align treatment with each person’s values, goals, and lifestyle. Her approach is integrative and flexible, grounded in evidence-based methods to support lasting, meaningful change.

Dr. Vivas begins with a thorough evaluation to understand each patient’s history and goals. She creates customized treatment plans that may include therapy, medication, or both. Drawing on CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychodynamic Therapy, she adapts care to meet evolving needs, aiming to relieve symptoms, foster resilience, and support long-term well-being.

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Eyerusalem Mulatu practices as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She has provided over a decade of experience in treating clients with mental health, trauma, and substance abuse addiction in a residential, PHP and IOP level of care. Eyerusalem's passion is providing education on how childhood trauma impacts daily life, coping skills to maintain sobriety, confronting the past, and living a healthy life. Eyerusalem's goal is to ensure clients feel heard, safe, and secure with their right to confidentiality. She has identified creative ways to build therapeutic rapport in a telehealth platform to strengthen the virtual care experience. Eyerusalem is qualified in caring for the family as a whole and identifying underlying issues such as unresolved trauma that exacerbate feelings of depression and anxiety. She empowers individuals on their road to healing. Eyerusalem is a Master's level clinician with over a decade of experience in treating Adults and Adolescents. Eyerusalem is also a post-induction therapist trained in the Meadows Model. In addition, Eyerusalem is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional specializing in treating childhood trauma. Eyerusalem uses a variety of modalities to help treat patients from CBT, Narrative, and DBT.

Richard "Rick" States is a Licensed Professional Counselor, with broad and varied professional work experience in behavioral health (inpatient and outpatient, individuals and families, children and adults, direct service and program administration). Rick earned his B.A. in Psychology at Gannon University and his M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

He's earned a Post-Master's Certificate in General Psychology from Northcentral University and has completed many doctorate credits in Psychology. Since 1999, Rick has taught university courses in Psychology, Sociology, and Human Services, most recently at Gannon University and Penn State University.

Rick's greatest area of clinical interest and skill centers around self-regulation or "how we manage" our thoughts, feelings, emotions, behaviors, etc. Rick appreciates the challenges related to anxiety, stress, depression, substance use, and trauma, and he employs various tools to help folks manage (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, humanism, mindfulness/somatic psychology, etc.).

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Dr. Latori Griffin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 10+ years' experience in helping clients with relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, intimacy related issues, and personality distress. Her specialty areas include seeing clients from underserved backgrounds with challenging life circumstances, racial/cultural traumas, substance use/abuse, career and educational planning, and relational traumas. Her goals are to offer a holistic approach to therapy that is concerned with the whole person and is conducive to growth and healing. Considering the spiritual, emotional, physical, psychological, social, and societal aspects of a client's experiences are of the utmost importance in creating an environment of warmth and support. Dr. Griffin works with clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment, and she will tailor the treatment plan to meet the clients' unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. Dr. Griffin is here to support & empower clients on that journey.

Myleka Garnett is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Myleka attended Baruch College in New York City, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, along with receiving her Master of Arts degree in Psychology from Brandman University in Monterey, California. While working towards her goal to become a licensed Therapist, Myleka completed 3000 supervised clinical hours. Myleka has been a part of the Mental Health field since 2016. Myleka has experience working with clients of all ages, backgrounds, and mental and physical health concerns. Myleka has worked in school settings (elementary, high school, and college) and in a primary care physician's office as an on-site mental health therapist. Myleka's main goal is to build rapport and to provide a safe and nonjudgmental space for all to feel comfortable when expressing how they feel, no matter what the topic of discussion may be. Myleka has provided individual and group therapeutic services, depending on what is most suitable for that specific person. Myleka enjoys using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when explaining the importance of how our thoughts have an impact on our emotions and our behaviors/actions. Myleka also practices using client-centered and DBT approaches within therapy.

Melissa Medina, LCSW, began her journey in mental healthcare with a Bachelor’s in Psychology followed by a Master of Social Work degree. From 2015 to 2018, she completed her clinical hours at a community mental health agency in Los Angeles, where she gained experience working with diverse populations facing complex challenges. Melissa’s therapeutic approach integrates psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, strengths-based, dialectical behavioral, and EMDR modalities. She is dedicated to providing culturally sensitive, neurodivergent-friendly, person-centered care to support individuals and families navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, panic attacks, grief, family conflict, and life transitions.

Melissa believes therapy is both a journey and a destination. She takes an eclectic approach, tailoring interventions and communication to best fit each patient’s needs and preferences. Patients can expect an atmosphere of warmth, empathy, and collaboration. Through motivational interviewing and narrative techniques, Melissa helps individuals articulate their stories, identify strengths, and reframe challenges as opportunities for growth. She is committed to meeting patients where they are while supporting them in reaching their goals.

Melissa’s process begins with building rapport, listening to each patient’s story, and understanding their unique needs and hopes for therapy. Early sessions focus on creating a safe, supportive space while developing a treatment plan tailored to the individual. Patients can expect to gain fresh perspectives, practical coping strategies, and deeper self-awareness. Melissa’s goal is for patients to feel heard, understood, and empowered as they strengthen relationships, build resilience, and move toward a greater sense of fulfillment.